Local volunteer Hannah Fortune honoured with Safe & Well Volunteer of the Year Award
Devon Community Foundation hosted their annual Volunteer of the Year awards at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter, honouring the hard work and achievements of the people contributing to voluntary and community groups in Devon. Local volunteer Hannah Fortune was recognised with the Safe & Well Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by the Mildmay-White Fund for her work with Devon Rape Crisis Service.
Hannah, 22, a former student at Exeter University, has been involved with Devon Rape Crisis Service since it began in 2011. As a volunteer support worker, she provides emotional and practical support to victims of rape and sexual assault.
Hannah said: “A shocking 25,000 women in Devon have experienced rape or serious sexual assault but only a small proportion are reported to the Police. Devon Rape Crisis service offers help and understanding to these people. Any support that I am able to provide to survivors can help break the isolation and stigma. I feel honoured to have received this award.”
Anne Mildmay-White said: “I have been involved with Devon Community Foundation for several years, and through them have learnt about the difficulties experienced by many people in our beautiful county. Behind the picture postcard view which people see when they come on holiday here, lies real deprivation and hardship.
“Through Devon Community Foundation I have set up the Mildmay-White Family fund, so that I can be personally involved in helping young people who are having a tough time. The reason I chose Hannah for the award as I was full of admiration and humility for her work, especially as it is such an emotive issue.”
Martha Wilkinson, chief executive of Devon Community Foundation said: “The service provided by Devon Rape Crisis is invaluable and without volunteers like Hannah this would not be possible.
“Our Volunteer of the Year Awards is a fantastic way to recognise the amazing and invaluable work of volunteers and groups in Devon. We know better than most what an amazing job these groups do having distributed over £9 million to local groups and funded 184 projects, benefitting more than 75,000 people in the past year alone.
“Our next milestone is to raise a further £10 million by 2017 – a difficult but achievable task with the help of the people of Devon. This money will be there forever to continue to build the thriving communities we love in Devon and to help those who are not yet born, solve the problems that we don’t yet know exist. What an amazing thing to say you were a part of!”
Devon Community Foundation is the main channel for individuals, families, businesses and others to invest in local charities and community groups who address pressing social issues. In the last nine years, Devon Community Foundation has given £9,000,000 in grants to over 2,700 community organisations, voluntary groups and projects in Devon.
The nominated volunteers work with local groups to help and support others in their communities. Other winners included:
• The High Sheriff of Devon’s Volunteer of the Year Award: Joanne Hones and Brian Warren (Farming Community Network Devon)
• Bringing People Together Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by HSBC: Stephen Woodward (Scoot-A-Long)
• Rural Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by Mole Valley Farmers: Laura Hughes (Moorvision)
• Children & Young People Volunteer of the Year Award, sponsored by Kitsons: Peter Ogburn (HMS Heroes)
• Trustee of the Year Award, sponsored by DeVA: Vocal Advocacy
• Thriving Communities Award: Crossroads Care Torbay
